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Before Ye Qingning could react, a purple figure squeezed through the crowd in front of the stall and snatched the hairpin from Bai Wei’s hand.
Turning around, the figure addressed the young man in purple who was walking towards them, “Junior Brother, don’t you think this pale purple little flower on this hairpin matches my robe perfectly?”
Ye Qingning frowned slightly and turned her head to look at the young man in purple who was approaching.
The young man appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen, with a handsome face. He wore a pale purple disciple robe from He Huan Sect, his black hair tied up high with a purple ribbon, exuding an air of youthful vitality.
What stood out most were his peach blossom eyes—upturned at the corners, with a soft and captivating gaze that carried an enchanting charm, pulling people in.
He was also the man Ye Qingning could never win over in her past life, the second male lead in the story, Xie Jibai.
Now, seeing Xie Jibai again in this life, she found herself feeling calm, her heart like still water. The regrets from her past life seemed like a fleeting cloud, no longer able to stir a ripple in her heart.
In her past life, despite ten years of effort, Xie Jibai had never liked her, and she only received the title of a nominal Sect Mistress. Now, she treated those ten years of efforts as feeding a dog and vowed not to have any entanglements with this “dog man” in this life.
Looking at Ye Hanyue dressed in the same purple He Huan Sect robes, her delicate appearance and charming demeanor, she and Xie Jibai seemed like a perfect match, like a pair of flawless couple.
In this life, she would see, after the sects exchanged positions, would Ye Hanyue get what she wished for, and how Xie Jibai would rise.
“You who are you!? This hairpin was chosen by us first, and we came here first. Who are you to snatch something from someone else’s hands? What’s the meaning of this!?”
Si Qianhu, lively and talkative, was quick to anger. Seeing someone snatch the hairpin from Bai Wei’s hand, she immediately became upset and wasn’t one to tolerate such behavior.
Her words also drew the attention of those nearby, including disciples from other sects, who all gathered to watch.
Ye Hanyue, holding the hairpin in her hand, had a smug look in her eyes. She ignored Si Qianhu’s words and shifted her gaze to Ye Qingning.
She had clearly seen Ye Qingning just moments ago but pretended to be surprised and said, “Sister, what are you doing here? I thought I heard a familiar voice earlier. I didn’t expect to run into you here.”
“These days, has everything been going well for you in Penglai Sect? Father and Mother often send messages. They’re so worried about you, afraid that you’re not doing well in the sect.”
Before Ye Qingning could speak, Si Qianhu, still fuming, said, “What’s it to you if Ye Shimei is doing well or not? Who are you to her? A disciple of He Huan Sect? Aren’t you from the side branch of the Ye family?”
Si Qianhu had never seen Ye Hanyue before but had already heard about how the Ye family’s true daughter had gone to a small sect, something like Lanyun Sect, or so she’d heard.
This annoying female cultivator in front of her was dressed in He Huan Sect’s disciple robe, so she couldn’t possibly be the true daughter.
Ye Hanyue bit her lip, looking like she had been wronged.
She looked at Ye Qingning and raised her voice slightly, saying, “Sister, when you see me, won’t you introduce who I am? If it weren’t for me caring about your incomplete heart veins and thinking someone in Penglai Sect might be able to treat you, I would’ve never let you have the only opportunity the Ye family had to enter Penglai Sect.”
“Now, is this how you’re treating me, letting an outsider speak so rudely to me?”
Ye Hanyue’s words made the onlookers stop in their tracks, gathering to watch.
Ye Qingning sneered. Ye Hanyue, as always, only knew how to pretend to be weak and pitiful, speaking loudly as if making sure everyone knew that it was Ye Hanyue who gave her the chance to enter Penglai Sect.
“Ah, so it was like this! I was wondering why the Ye family sent the fake daughter to Penglai Sect. Turns out the true daughter gave up her opportunity to the fake one. What a magnanimous true daughter, I bet no one else would have done the same.”
“Indeed! The true daughter is really kind-hearted. But I heard the true daughter went to some small sect. How come she’s wearing He Huan Sect’s disciple robe?”
“There’s nothing strange about it. A small sect doesn’t have the qualification to go to Yunshan Secret Realm, so they had to use the name of another sect. But as long as they can enter the Yunshan Secret Realm, it’s not bad to rely on He Huan Sect for a spot.”
“So that’s the case. But what’s the meaning of this fake daughter of Penglai Sect? She can only be a disciple of Penglai Sect because the true daughter gave up the chance, but why does she look so cold and unwilling to engage?”
The murmurs around them continued, nearly driving the system mad. Ye Qingning’s gaze turned cold. Ye Hanyue had indeed once again used her scheming ways to make her the target of everyone’s disdain.
But had she forgotten? Even in her past life, she was not someone who could be bullied by others.
Instantly, Ye Qingning entered the role, speaking with feigned sorrow, “Sister, what are you talking about? It was you who wanted to exchange sects with me. No matter how Father and Mother tried to persuade you, you insisted on switching.”
“I thought at first that you were doing it for my sake, but that night I overheard you speaking with Father and Mother. You said that someone in Lanyun Sect could heal my heart veins, and that you were going to Lanyun Sect to seek a teacher.”
“I really don’t understand. Father and Mother knew someone in Lanyun Sect could treat me, yet they agreed to let you and me exchange sects, sending me to Penglai Sect.”
“Now I have to force myself to cultivate, risking my life to establish my foundation, but you’re standing here, in front of so many people, trying to twist the truth?”
“Just like with this hairpin, we came first to choose it, and my senior sister had already decided to buy it. Yet, after you came over, you snatched it from my senior sister. Do you just enjoy taking things from others?”
“First, you wanted to take over the sect, now the hairpin. Will you even try to take my Dao Companion when I have one in the future? What did I do wrong for you to always target me?”
Seemingly on the verge of tears, Ye Qingning reached for a handkerchief to wipe away her nonexistent tears.
Fortunately, Bai Wei, understanding her, quickly pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and handed it to Ye Qingning.
Ye Qingning wiped her “tears” and even sobbed a few times for effect.
“White lotus? I can be whiter. Green tea? I can be greener. Even if I’m a man’s tea, I can still play it well—defeating magic with magic.”
“I wondered why the Ye family would send their real daughter to a small sect, only to send Ye Shimei to Penglai Sect. Turns out they didn’t care about Ye Shimei’s heart veins, they only wanted their real daughter to learn from a great master. Who could have guessed such thoughts?”
Si Qianhu summed it up precisely, and the surrounding onlookers quickly understood.
“Everyone says that finding a good master is more important than joining a good sect. Someone in Lanyun Sect can heal heart veins, so there must be a medical sage hidden in the small sect! No wonder the Ye family sent their real daughter to a small sect. They didn’t care about Ye Shimei!”
“Exactly! This is what I thought too! I was confused at first about why they sent the fake daughter to Penglai Sect, but now I get it! They really only care about their own real daughter!”
“Ye family really is heartless. After all these years, they sent their own daughter to the small sect, but as soon as the real daughter appeared, they just sent her off, not caring about the fake daughter. It’s like they’re heartless!”